Hey ya'll. So, the deal is, I know I have another story on this account that I haven't updated in what's gotta be over two years. However, it's on an indefinate hiatus for the moment. (Mostly because I totally forgot I even wrote it.)
Anyways, I do have another story, one of which I hope is of better quality than my last one.
It's rated mostly for language at this point, and there aren't any gruesome parts in it, yet.
The major pairings are Harry/OC and Hermione/Ron (In later chapters.)
It's set in the time of right after the sixth book. Also, for the purpose of this story, the Ginny/Harry Ship never happened. Because I like Romance, and because it would make things to complicated for the plot.
Anyways, have a fun time reading, and PLEASE give me feedback, flames or not, because I really love hearing what you guys think. After all, that's the only thing that will make me a better writer.
ON WITH THE STORY.
(P.S. I write alot of author's notes.)
The winter air was frosty, and Katie zipped up her thin jacket, trying unsuccessfully to ward out the nighttime chill. A sharp wind blew across her face, causing her dark hair to fall from its place in a messy ponytail into her eyes. She shivered and picked up her pace. She was supposed to be at the Homeless Shelter almost half an hour ago, but with no car, no money, and a less than sympathetic mother, Katie's own legs were the only form of transportation around.
'Martha will understand,' she thought hopefully. Martha was the administrator at the local Coquitlam Homeless Shelter. Katie had been volunteering there for about three weeks now, as a way to pay her Community Service. It just so happened that she had gotten into some trouble with the police a short while ago for stealing a diamond necklace at the mall. It wasn't that Katie was a bad kid, it's just that with no job experience and with Christmas right around the corner, stealing the necklace seemed so much easier than finding the money to pay for it. It was a shame that her mother didn't understand. Indeed, had the judge not taken pity on her, Katie would be sitting in a Juvenile Detention Center, wishing her mother had come to the hearing.
The Shelter was right around the corner, and Katie shuffled along quicker now, eager for the warmth the building provided. She scurried guiltily in the back door, hanging up her coat and grabbing an apron and hairnet from the back room. The other helpers eyed her pitifully. This was the ninth time Katie had been late since she'd started her volunteering here. The other people knew the basic story of how she had come to work here, but Katie preferred to keep it a secret. 'There's no need for strangers to get the wrong impression of me,' she had thought.
"Late again, Hun?" The motherly figure of Martha stood to the right of the doorway, her patronizing eyes glancing at the rushing blur of Katie, who was trying to get everything in order before she went out to serve the homeless.
"Yeah, I know, and I'm so sorry! But you know how my mom is; she wouldn't drive me no matter how icy it was out there. It won't happen again, I promise!" Katie replied with an anxious tone. She hated being looked down upon, but when you're a 'delinquent teenager,' you get used to it.
"Katie, you have to be on time! It's one of the rules from that judge. I hope it doesn't happen again. Now, go on, get out there. It's a cold night, it's more busy than usual." The large hand of Martha was laid down on Katie's shoulder for a quick squeeze before pushing her slim figure out the door and into the Friday night mess of the Shelter.
"Why hello there, Katie! Top of the morning to you!" a friendly voice called out amidst the crowd of hungry stragglers. Katie turned around and smiled as she saw a regular visitor stepping up to the food line. Freddie was an old, Irish man who loved to talk. His toothless smile, dirty, oversized clothes, cracked cane, and twinkling blue eyes were endearing to Katie. He reminded her of her grandfather, in a way.
"Hi Freddie! How're you tonight? Ready for some hot soup?" She smiled a genuine smile, something she hadn't done at home lately.
"I'm just fine thank-you, Darlin.' Some soup would be divine! You know, my wife used to make soup, and some fine soup it was! Oh there was broccoli, and potatoes, and maybe some beans in it…" Freddie trailed off, a bowl of hot soup in his hands, mumbling about his wife and children. The other people working at the Shelter had told Katie that as far as they knew, Freddie had never even had a wife, but Katie enjoyed hearing his stories anyway. It was an odd feeling to know that Freddie, along with many others sitting in the Shelter, had once belonged to a family, had had a home, and a significant other. She wondered dismally if she too was to meet this same fate as so many others in her area had.
Katie was just finishing her shift when the front door creaked open and a boy who looked to be about seventeen inched quietly into the light. He seemed to be mumbling crossly to himself. His hair was in his face, but Katie could tell that he had green eyes even from across the crowded room. He looked about shiftily before making his way past the hoards of eating people to where Katie was standing behind the counter.
"Hello, how may I help you?" Katie asked as cheerfully as she could. She didn't know why, but for some reason, Katie was overwhelmingly upset for this boy. It couldn't be because of his age, for she had just served a four year old a couple minutes before. No, it was all in his eyes. They looked so lost, so defeated. This boy had been through a lot, she could just tell. She tried to look sympathetic without showing pity, because past experiences told her that pity was not welcomed in a place like this.
"Yeah, uh, could you tell me where I could find the nearest bus station, please?" The boy asked quietly. Katie couldn't help but notice that he had a thick, British accent. 'A British accent in Canada? That's weird.' She thought. She wanted to ask about it, but thought it would seem rude.
"The nearest bus station? That's a while away from here. Around Lougheed, I think." She tried to keep her voice light and airy, but her voice seemed monotone. It had been a long night. The boy looked unsure, but thanked Katie and turned to leave the Shelter. Looking him over from the back, Katie was saddened to see just how thin this boy was. His five-sizes-too-big shirt and pants were drowning him, and he looked like he was about to collapse.
"Hey! Wait!" she called, and the boy turned around, not sure if it was him she was calling too. She ran out from behind the counter and jogged over to where the boy was standing. From this point, Katie could tell that he was at least a full head shorter than her five foot seven frame. Looking up she stated, "You look exhausted. Are you sure you don't want to stay the night here? I mean, no offence, but I think you could use the rest. We make the best soup around too, if I do say so myself." Katie gave the boy a small smile.
The boy seemed to think twice, but gave her a shake of his head and said, "No, I really need to be going. I have to…find something."
"Are you absolutely sure? I mean, we have enough bedding, and I assure you that the rooms aren't nearly as cluttered as the kitchens. If you want, I could get Martha to wake you up early tomorrow if you needed to leave." Katie felt like saying, 'C'mon, what have you got to lose?' but thought better of it.
"No really, I'm fine. I have to go though. Thank you for your hospitality." The boy turned around and quickly skirted out the door. Katie sighed and looked remorsefully at the door for a moment before getting back to work. She still had to clean up the cafeteria and the kitchens before she was free to leave.
Forty minutes and six garbage bags full of paper plates and rotten leftovers later, Katie was on her way home. It was even colder now in the dead of night than it was when she had walked to the shelter. Rubbing her hands together, Katie felt like sprinting home, but didn't for fear of slipping on the ice. Snow had begun to fall, and she had her hood up. She was about twenty minutes away from her home when she felt a dreadful sensation, like someone was watching her. She turned her head to one side and then the other, but saw no one. She was about to laugh at herself for being paranoid when a filthy man the Shelter Crew knew as Jim popped out from seemingly nowhere to the side of Katie. Katie nearly jumped out of her skin, and Jim grinned maliciously down at her from his towering 6"2' frame. He put his arm around her and Katie inwardly grimaced.
"Hi Jim…" She mumbled. She wanted to tell him to fuck off, but Jim was scary when angry, so she thought against it.
"Hello Precious. What have you got for me today?" Jim's putrid smell made Katie want to gag almost as much as his hand on her ass did.
"Nothing, Jim. I have nothing for you. Now please, just let me go home. I'll see you tomorrow at the Shelter."
"Shut up! I know you have some Heroin with you, you little slut! And if you ain't got no drugs, than maybe I'll just have some of that tight little ass of yours." At that, Jim's hand squeezed her bottom, and Katie saw red.
"Alright that's it! Seriously Jim! I've had enough. Go buy a penny-whore or something! I'm done with your bullshit!"
"Oh yeah!" Jim bellowed, and he shoved Katie into the nearby alleyway, where he proceeded to slam her head into the wall. Seeing stars, but not willing to give up, Katie kicked out at Jim, which only made him angrier.
"You stupid bitch! I'm gonna finish you off now!" he screamed, pulling out a long, thing piece of wood, of about 11 inches.
"Are you serious, Jim? A fucking stick? What are you on?" Katie scoffed while still attempting to get out of his tight grasp.
"Oh, more than just a fucking stick, Precious. Much more." The malicious grin was back again, and Katie couldn't help but be the least bit afraid. All of a sudden, the stick glowed a vibrant green colour, and Katie's breathing quickened.
"What the fuck…?" She breathed.
A cackle left the grungy man's lips before he uttered a single word while pointing the stick at Katie's heart.
"Crucio."
All at once, Katie experienced the worst pain that she had ever felt in her entire life. It felt like her limbs were being torn apart from the rest of her body. Her heart was on fire, and her lungs had exploded. Her mind went blank, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She heard, more than felt, the crack of her skull against the slippery ice as she fell. Desperately wishing for death to befall her, Katie writhed in pain for what seemed like eternity. Then, out of the shadows, came her saviour.
"Expelliarmus!" yelled the voice of a boy. No, not a boy, a man. All at once, the pain stopped. Katie gasped and the relieving rush of oxygen entered her lungs. Her heart still seemed on fire, but other than that, the pain was subsiding. She tried to sit up, but her head was throbbing as though she had just been hit by a truck. She didn't trust her legs enough to stand up.
Although the pain was slowly wearing away, Katie was still close to blind, and she couldn't see what was happening between Jim and the person who had saved her. She heard a few yelps and many cusses, but as to who the words were coming from, she was oblivious. She had managed to pull herself towards the alley's brick wall, and was leaning against it, breathing hard and rubbing her head when she heard fast footsteps running towards her. A huge amount of force, which belonged to a dingy foot, was pushed against her head, and she was out like a light once more.
"What the fuck… my fucking head…" Katie didn't even bother to get up, but instead held her hands to her bruised and temples, rubbing them in an attempt to soothe. Muffled voices were streaming through her ears, but she couldn't make out anything they were saying. She was no longer in the dark alley, but rather in a warm, lively house, filled with noise and smells of good food.
'And love,' she thought, 'There's love in this house.' She couldn't remember a time when she had felt that emotion. She wondered why she was here, and how she'd got here. Had this been one of those things where she had deliriously done something with no memory of it. She wondered where all this noise was coming from. Finally, looking up, she could see green eyes swimming before her. The mouth below the eyes was trying to ask her something, she could tell, but she couldn't make out just what it was the mouth was trying to say.
'Green eyes…' she thought, 'I've seen those before.'
Those were the last conscious thoughts she had before she fell into another deep slumber.
Harry's eyes showed disappointment as the gray ones of the girl in Ginny's bed closed. He had been trying to tell this teenaged girl with a Canadian accent not to panic, and that he had taken her to the safest place he knew, what he referred to as his family's home. But he could tell that he was losing her, even as he had started to speak. The sleeping girl lay peaceful on the bed, and Harry decided to leave her be. Mrs. Weasley had said that it would be awhile before this girl was 'up and running' again, so Harry went downstairs, looking back once more at the girl.
Six pairs of confused eyes were fixed on the staircase as Harry descended down it towards them in the kitchen. Around the table sat Hermione Granger, pretending to be engrossed in "Advanced Defense Spells," Ron Weasley, looking furious, Fred Weasley, trying to look half-serious, and his twin George, who was doctoring a forming bruise on his left eye. Mrs. Weasley was looking worriedly into her cup of tea, and Ginny Weasley, hair wet from her recent swim was looking the most confused out of everyone. Mr. Weasley looked as if he had just had a major battle with a hippogriff. Ron started in first.
"What the hell did you think you were doing, Harry? Bringing a stranger in here like this! What if she belongs to the other side! What if she's a spy? What if-"
"Relax Ron; I'm positive she's a Muggle. She didn't even know what a wand was."
"But how could you be sure, Harry? What if she was bluffing so you would believe her?" Hermione asked quietly. Her pretend interest in her book had completely been lost.
"Because, Hermione, she didn't even do anything to stop that stupid git from putting her under the 'Crucio' Curse." Harry said lowly.
The table went silent. None of them had known what had gotten this girl all bruised up. In fact, Harry hadn't even told them all why he had brought this girl to the Burrow in the first place. But of course, they hadn't asked any questions as he had carried her up to Ginny's room. He had considered putting her in his own, but seeing as he was already sharing with Ron, Fred and George… well, that just wouldn't work out too well. He thought she'd also like some female company as well.
"Harry dear, why did you feel the need to… bring this girl here anyhow?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Harry could tell she was picking her words carefully.
In all honesty, Harry didn't know the reason for his taking of this girl; he just knew she needed help. He himself had gone through the pain that the Crucio curse had caused. He knew that leaving her in that alley after a suffering like that would certainly cause death or more sever injury. He didn't like the looks of the people walking the street around them, either. But it was something else too that made him take her somewhere safe. Something he just couldn't put his finger on. A phrase he hadn't heard floated through the back of his mind, 'Keep her safe and all will be well.'
"I… I guess, she just… needed help. I didn't see any harm in bringing her here for a while. Besides, what if she turns out to be helpful to us. We need all the help we can get, right? I mean, you saw the belting she gave George."
George grimaced and glared up the stairs. "Little broad sure has a good swing, alright."
Fred laughed at his brother before turning to Harry. "Look Harry, you know as well as I do that I'm all for pretty girls. But c'mon lad, at a time like this, do you really have time for a girlfriend?"
Harry knew Fred had meant it as a joke to lighten the mood, but he gave him a hard glare anyhow. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ginny glaring at him too.
"Get off it, Fred. You know that's not what it is. It's just that-"
Harry was cut short by a loud crash from upstairs. Everyone looked around. No one was missing from the table. No one except…
There was a squeaking from the staircase, and a pale girl with messy black hair barely confined to a pony-tail barreled down the stairs. Her gray eyes were wild and frightened, and she looked like she was either going to pass out or charge at everyone.
"Ahh, there's little miss sunshine now." George said sarcastically. The kitchen seemed to be frozen. Katie stood at the bottom of the stairs, clad in Ginny's purple pajamas, looking starkly white. She seemed to lean sideways for a moment, seemingly about to pass out. Mr. Weasley, who had stood up and was leaning against the island in the middle of the kitchen, moved forward to steady her, but she shrieked as he came near.
"Don't fucking touch me! Where the hell am I! Did you find me in that alley? Did you inject me with some sort of drug? What the fuck is going on?"
The rest of the family had gotten up from the table and were circled from the staircase. Most were looking at her puzzled, but Hermione looked like she was downright scared of her.
"Don't come any closer, or I will fucking kill you, do you hear me?" Katie shrieked again. She was certain that she'd been abducted. She was probably going to end up addicted to Cocaine or Heroine now, and would be forced to work the streets in downtown. Her mind was running wild with horrible images and ideas, and she couldn't think straight. These strange people with red hair were crowding around her, suffocating her, killing her. She didn't know why, but she looked around desperately for someone she knew. Then, like a miracle, she saw those green eyes. The boy from the shelter, the boy who had saved her, was standing behind two twins, (or was she seeing double?) looking annoyed and … worried? She pointed at him, and he started.
"You! You brought me here, didn't you? What'd you do to me?" Katie was getting more tired and insecure by the minute. The wild and crazed look in her eyes was changing into a defeated, lost one. It was a look that wanted to make Mrs. Weasley give her a hug, and make Ron stop being furious, and more importantly, wanted to make Harry pour his soul out to her and tell her everything that he couldn't tell anyone else. It was just something in her eyes that told Harry that she wouldn't tell anyone his secrets. That she would keep them safe from the world. He knew now that the true reason why he had saved her was because there was something in her eyes last night that told him that she was important.
She could save them.